About John Atkins Hymas

John and Mary Ann Pitman were married on 10 Nov 1861 in Salt Lake City, UT and had 10 children together.

John and Mary Jane Watkins were married on 24 Oct 1878 in Salt Lake City, UT. and had 10 Children together also.

In the year 1853 the L. D. S. missionaries were preaching the gospel in England, and some members of the Hymas Family became interested in the gospel. Charles W. Penrose, a missionary (and later a member of the First Presidency of the Church), spent considerable time at the Hymas home, teaching the gospel to them. The youngest daughter, Mary Ann, told in her history, "I remember C. W. Penrose, a traveling Elder there, taking me on his lap, singing the songs of Zion and making his home at my mother's, while preaching the gospel there. " The following year John was baptized a member of the Church May 21, 1854. His mother was baptized May 26th and his father on June 25th. The other members of the family joined the Church in the next few years, with the exception of the oldest son, George, who never became a member.

After William and his family became members of the Church, they had a desire to come with the saints to America. Two years later, in 1856, John sailed for America, and the following year William Alfred left England and joined his brother, who was living in Iowa at the time.

William and Mary Ann began to make plans to bring their family to the United States and join the boys who were here, and several years later preparations were completed, and they were ready to go to Liverpool, where they could sail to America. William, his wife Mary Ann and their children, Sarah, Susan, Benjamin, James and Mary Ann sailed on the ship Underwriter" April 23, 1861. George, the oldest son stayed in England.